Crime by Anthony Piovesan Police are releasing a $1 million reward in exchange for clues about the 1987 murder of Ballarat grandmother Kathleen Severino. She was last seen alive outside her Drummond Street property about 7.55pm on December 31. The next morning, Ms Severino s family discovered the 70-year-old woman dead in her bedroom. Homicide squad detectives say she had been savagely assaulted and suffered fatal head injuries. Her home appeared to have been ransacked, but nothing had been stolen. Investigators believe Ms Severino was murdered sometime between the hours of 10.30pm and 11.30pm that New Year s Eve. Police have released a $1 million reward in exchange for clues about the 1987 murder of Ballarat grandmother Kathleen Severino.
Kathleen Severino, 70, was found in the bedroom of her Ballarat home on January 1, 1988.
She had been assaulted and suffered fatal head injuries sometime between 10.30pm and 11.30pm on New Year s Eve, Victoria Police said.
A witness reported seeing a man and woman near Ms Severino s home at the time.
Kathleen Severino (pictured above) was found dead in her Ballarat home on January 1 in 1988 - her murder remains unsolved
Police are now offering a $1million reward in a bid to solve the cold case murder of Kathleen Severino (pictured above)
The home had been ransacked but nothing was stolen.
A man, 19, was charged with Ms Severino s murder in 1990 - but the charges were dropped after a witness revoked their evidence before the matter went to trial.
$1 Million Reward for Victorian Cold Case Murder
Kathleen Severino, 70, was found dead in the bedroom of her Ballarat home on January 1, 1988.
Police say she suffered fatal head injuries after being “savagely assaulted” sometime between 10.30 and 11.30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.
A witness reported seeing a man and woman near Severino’s home at the time. The residence was ransacked but nothing was stolen.
Detective Inspector Andrew Stamper said on Jan. 13 he was the confident the murder was a “burglary gone wrong.”
“In all probability she heard the burglary occurring and was … subjected to a horrendous bashing,” he told reporters.
The daughter of a Ballarat cold-case murder victim bashed to death in her bedroom says she has lived through 33 years of hell since opening the door to her mother's home on New Year's Day in 1988.